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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Rodney King, the beating victim of LA police in 1991 is marrying Cynthia Kelley, Juror No. 5...one of the women serving on the jury which awarded him $3.8 million.

Rodney King and Cynthia Kelley

Apparently, King called Kelley "on a whim" four months ago. They met previously the day after the trial ended in 1994 and shared a pizza, but both were already married to someone else.

RadarOnline broke this story and are quoting Kelley saying the "first date" was at that pizzeria, even though they were each married. That relationship did not end until King participated in a May 2008 Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Kelley was the only Black juror in the beating trial that eventually acquitted the White police officers. She says the White jurors wanted to award King only $100,000.

"During deliberations, the other jurors said, 'Let's just award him $100,000, you know he's just gonna blow it anyway'," Kelley said.

"It was a blessing that I was even there, the other jurors didn't want to give him anything."

How does one person on a jury bounce the compensation from $100,000 to $3.8 million?

Video of the police attack on King showed them repeatedly hitting King with batons. After the officers were acquitted, riots raged through the area. It took the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Army and the National Guard to restore peace. Fifty-three died with more than 2,000 reported injuries.

In November 1989, about two years before the police beating, King robbed a store in Monterey Park, California and used an iron bar to beat the store owner. King was sentenced to two years in prison, but received early parole. By March 1991, he led the led the police on the infamous high-speed car-chase that resulted in the beating.

King's blood alcohol level was more than twice what California law allows, and during the chase, his speed reached 117 miles per hour. After release from the hospital for a broken ankle, a fractured facial bone and bruises and lacerations, King filed a claim with the City alleging eleven skull fractures, permanent brain damage, broken teeth and bones, kidney damage and shock and trauma.

After the riots, King went on television and asked, "can't we all just get along? The store owner he beat probably beat him to that question, but received no face time on television.

King was arrested in 1995 for hitting his then-wife - with his car, and spent 90 days in prison. Arrested again in August 2003 for drunk driving, running a red light and slamming his car into a house. In one of his Celebrity Rehabs he recounted the police beating and indicated he submitted to the police immediately which evidence did not support.

Apparently King has been sober for a year or more. I applaude anyone turning their life around. I hope this is what King has done, and I wish Cynthia Kelley good luck. Rodney King has had more than his share of luck by driving drunk, often - an action that could have killed many.

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